Lawyer: By attacking the Armenian Apostolic Church, RA premier places  himself above God

ArmInfo. Lacking legal grounds, Armenia's increasingly authoritarian leader Nikol Pashinyan, who failed to secure even half the votes in the June parliamentary elections, has decided that his government should determine the future leadership and direction of the Armenian Apostolic Church,  ignoring international standards of religious freedom. International lawyer Robert Amsterdam writes about this on social media.

According to him, the confrontation between the government and the  Church has reached a new, extraordinary level. Pashinyan's government  has included so-called "spiritual security" of Armenia and Church  reforms in its political agenda, proposing a parliamentary  investigation into the "deep systemic crisis" within the Church,  which could be followed by legislative changes. This comes amid  months of pressure on the Armenian Apostolic Church. High-ranking  clergy have been arrested and prosecuted, Catholicos of All Armenians  His Holiness Karekin II has been put on trial, and Pashinyan has  repeatedly demanded his resignation. The government is now attempting  to shift from attacks on individual clergy to reforming the Church  itself. The Armenian Apostolic Church is one of the oldest Christian  institutions in existence. It has endured centuries of foreign rule,  persecution, the Genocide, and Soviet repression, preserving the  Armenian faith and identity even in regions where an independent  Armenian state never existed. Its leadership is determined by its own  church structures and traditions, not by the political preferences of  the government currently ruling in Yerevan. This week, the Supreme  Spiritual Council rejected yet another government intervention,  stating that the National Assembly is not an appropriate forum for  discussing internal church issues and that church reforms "cannot be  carried out under external pressure, threats, or any other form of  influence." "[The text appears to be a mistranslation.]" the lawyer  stated.

He notes that Nikol Pashinyan acts as if no institution in Armenia  stands above his personal authority.  "Now he has placed himself  above parliament, above the church, and perhaps above God. For nearly  two thousand years, the Armenian Apostolic Church has withstood  emperors, dictators, persecution, and genocide. Now the prime  minister believes he can decide who should lead it, how it should  govern itself, and how Armenians should perceive their Church. This  is not a reform. This is an attempt to politically seize an  independent religious institution. The silence of the international  community is no longer justified.  If any government attempted to  determine the leadership and internal governance of an ancient  religious institution in another part of Europe, it would rightly  provoke great outrage. The Church does not belong to Nikol Pashinyan.  It does not belong to his government. It belongs to its believers,  and its independence must be protected," Robert Amsterdam emphasized.

Amsterdam & Partners calls on governments, religious leaders, human  rights organizations, and Armenian Diaspora communities worldwide to  oppose political interference in the affairs of the Armenian  Apostolic Church and to defend its right to determine its leadership  and internal affairs free from state coercion.  Amsterdam & Partners  LLP is an international law firm specializing in political advocacy  and human rights, with offices in London and Washington, DC.